The Arrowhead

Camp Nebagamon's Monthly Newsletter

Volume XCI

Number 3

March 2019

My eldest son, Joshua, is currently off on one of those adventures that compel all of us parents to say, “When I come back in my next life, I want to come back as MY CHILD!” This year he took a “gap year” before starting college next fall. He spent the first half of the year working at the Boise Discovery Center (our local children’s science museum) to make some money to finance this current adventure. (And, yes, in Boise, Idaho, the science museum does have more advanced exhibits than ones that tout the incredible new invention of the automobile!) On February 1st, he left for a six-week walkabout/vision quest/corps of discovery tour all across Europe. This trip is entirely solo…no group, no BFFs, no organized program. Just Josh, a backpack, way too much wool clothing, the itinerary that he created in 20 minutes because his mom said he was not allowed to go unless he turned one in to her (!!!), and whatever funds his six-month $9/hour job wound up totaling.

While this is an adventure he was excited about, it is also an experience about which he was quite nervous. It took quite a while to get him to actually commit to taking the trip. He hemmed and hawed about whether he really wanted to do it and what part of the planet he should travel to. He seemed daunted by the planning required for such an excursion. He was frankly a little bit scared. He speaks some marginal Spanish (and to date has not entered the only Spanish speaking country on this trip!), but he does not know the language in virtually every country to which he has travelled and will be travelling. He has no real plans (see above fake news itinerary he presented us!), and he is completely on his own…forced to figure out everything without parental assistance (and this for a kid that loses his car keys when they are in his pocket!). The uncertainty of it all was a little nerve wracking…he had no idea what to expect. Yet, eventually, he decided that the trip was something he wanted to do….and that it was important that he do it. He CHOSE these challenges. He CHOSE to go somewhere he has never been before, to an alien landscape, to experience something new. He CHOSE to push himself to discover another part of himself.

Thus far the trip has gone well for him. Josh has described parts of his trip as difficult such as navigating train schedules, learning to be by himself, finding hostels in large cities, and finding ways to connect with other travelers who not only don’t always speak English but are also often at least a couple of years older than him. While he has described it as difficult at times, he also has commented that it is probably the best thing he has ever done in his life. (I am assuming he is not remembering the time I took him to a Utah Jazz playoff game!) He is having a great time and he describes the challenges that he is facing as both interesting and teaching him that he is more capable than he knew (and certainly more capable than his dad gives him credit for being!)

Because I only rarely divert my attention from all things Nebagamon to trivial things like family, his trip has gotten me thinking a great deal about our tripping program and the parallels. I know that for many of the boys that come to camp, the idea of a wilderness trip is indeed an intimidating one. For many of these boys the mere act of electing to come to camp in the first place pushed them very far out of their comfort zones of solo bedrooms, home-cooked meals tailored to their individual liking, and parents’ consistent attention and guidance. Now, on top of that major leap of courage, to go on trail they have to make the additional adjustment of temporarily moving out of their cabins and being exposed to the elements, eating food that is only as good as they prepare it, and sleeping in a tent that they themselves erect. In a very real way, they don’t speak the language and they will be in an alien land…the uncertainty of it all. They have no idea what to expect.

Yet, last summer we sent out nearly 80 trips. That means about 700 trip slots were filled with boys that, despite the uncertainty and fear, decided that these trips were something they wanted to do…and that it was important that they do it. Certainly, trips come with challenges. There are hills to hike up that feel never-ending. There are big lakes to paddle across with winds that seem to cruelly force canoes backwards despite the most intense paddling efforts. There are portages with mud puddles that seem impossible to cross. And then, sometimes, there is a mosquito or two.

But our campers CHOOSE these challenges. They CHOOSE to go somewhere that they have never been before, to an alien landscape, to experience something new. They CHOOSE to push themselves to discover what they are capable of. And, in virtually all cases, they come back and say that BECAUSE of those challenges (and the incredible camaraderie that develops from shared experiences…and, oh yeah, the gorgeous places they get to visit!), these trips wind up being the best experiences of their summers, and sometimes their lives. (So, you can save the money on those Jazz playoff tickets!)

Our tripping program is indeed one of the most special, educational, and life changing aspects of our special, educational and life changing Camp Nebagamon experience.

As we speak, Joshua is currently dealing with a very late train that will land him in Slovenia past the time when he is allowed to check into his hostel. He tells me he will figure it out and that I don’t need to worry…and I am sure he will.

One certain sign of spring is the arrival of the packet of information to help you plan for the summer. This year all the paperwork for you camper will again be available in an online-only format. We will still be mailing the Parent Handbook and the official Nebagamon luggage tags, so please look for them in the mail. (If you want to go ahead and contact Travel One, Camp Nebagamon’s official travel agency, please call them at 800-245-1111.) This important mailing will leave camp’s winter office by the beginning of April. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to contact us at 208-345-5544 or briggs@campnebagamon.com with any questions you may have about getting ready for a wonderful 2019 season!

Hello camp family! Jamey Sharp here from the ever hip and drizzly Pacific Northwest. I spent last summer hidden deep in the basement of the Big House as the Assistant Trip Director. My days were filled with buying land-use permits, making van driver schedules, and heckling the Trip Director, Adam Fornear. Whether it was helping precisely count the 18 slices of turkey and provolone cheese that go into a Cruiser Lunch with the Quartermaster, checking van tire pressure with our fabulous trip drivers, or making sure that our trip staff understand the importance of looking for a campsite in the BWCA no later than 2 pm, I know that the little things are what make a great trip. That’s why I am to help you plan an awesome Spring Break trip. Here is a list of five stand-by rules for dreaming up that perfect trip. Go big, but not too big, as we have an incredible summer of trips lined up with the first vans rolling out starting June 21st!

It’s never too early to start planning. I do not recommend planning or packing out a trip the night before you leave. That time should be spent taking care of personal matters such as calling family or putting together your trip journal. So, it is essential to start hitting the maps and trip reports as soon as possible. I used to coax myself into studying during college with the idea that after a few hours of reading, I could start looking at topographical maps of the next mountain to climb, or the interstate map for the next road trip (in case you are wondering, I did graduate on time). We love getting out there and for many of us at Nebagamon, our memories of previous trips and dreams of future trips are sometimes just as powerful as a dip of the paddle in the lake or a mile on the trail. The truth is that the trip begins as soon as we start to imagine it.

Jamey loves a good Pita Pizza

Keep the menu simple. For anyone reminiscing about a Nebagamon trip, it is often the food that sticks out in their minds. It goes both ways. You remember that hefty pot of Mac & Pep craftily paired with a side of fresh caught Walleye. Oh, and you definitely remember the north country’s finest “bag-hit” dessert that followed. But, you also remember those meals that didn’t go exactly as planned, like that time the noodles were accidentally dumped into the dirt while attempting to strain out the water. Or, you might be shiver at the thought of the mysterious (and supposedly healthy?) quinoa curry that was prepared by your trip leader after they finished their first year of college on the west coast. Either way, feeding time is important and memorable. You can go big and try that new recipe or technique, but, sometimes it is best to go with the dish that makes everybody comfortable. Whether it is Pesto Carb, Pita Pizzas, Chocolate Breakfast Dessert, or Jambalaya, you can’t go wrong with the classics.

Break your routine. While springtime is often associated with new life, growth, and blooming flowers, it feels like it is more realistically spent stuck inside with an endless assignment and the daily checklist. For many of our campers and staff, the school routine is in full swing: alarm, snooze button, alarm, wake-up, go to school, stay awake at school, go to practice, go home, eat dinner, go to bed, repeat…and don’t forget the 50+ times that we are likely to check our phones throughout the day! Needless to say, this is a great time of year to try something new. This doesn’t necessarily mean finding the most exoticdestination in the Yo Yo Islands and dragging your family there with you. It might mean waking up early in your hometown to catch the sunrise, taking your bike instead of sitting in the morning rush-hour, and most importantly, putting that phone away. Whether you are hundreds of miles out of phone service or sitting in your living room during spring break, try a day with the phone completely off.

It’s the people. This is one of the most important aspects of Camp Nebagamon and our style of tripping. We don’t only go out there to cover a ton of miles, walk on uncharted territory, or as a wayof escaping. We go out there, often times with complete strangers, to accomplish something together, to learn from each other, and more often than not, just to hangout and laugh together. So, on this spring break trip, make sure that you are valuing the people that you are with. Try to learn one new thing about everyone on your trip. Teach everybody how to play cribbage or euchre. Tell a funny story about something that happened last summer on your Mississippi River trip or try to figure out something that has been on your mind throughout the school year. My biggest life questions and challenges have been figured out through casual conversations with a buddy on the trail (it’s like counseling without the co-pay).

Don’t get (too) lost. I want to be clear that Camp Nebagamon will not be liable for anybody’s search and rescue bill. Always bring the appropriate gear, do your research about where you are going, and have an escape plan. However once the essentials are covered, there is something to be said about not planning out every tiny detail and being able to go with the flow, also known as the Fornear Method. Which moments do we really remember and recount at the dinner table 10 years later? It definitely isn’t the trip when everything went according to plan, the mosquitos decided to stay home, we were in our sleeping bags by 7:30 pm, and nobody had to wake up in the middle of the night to use the pit toilet. The beautiful, interesting, full, and laugh-worthy stories always involve changes of plans, flexibility, and perhaps a little bit of adversity. While we now have the ability to read thousands of trip reports, see 5-star ratings of every single pit toilet in the BWCA, and even virtually walk into the coffee shop that we are thinking about visiting on a screen at our fingertips, a trip that is over planned loses the opportunities that present themselves along the way. That trip leader that is just so fixated on returning to that awesome waterfall that they visited 10 years ago, or finding the amazing campsite that they found online, might be blinded to the new, even better opportunity that lays right in front of their eyes. They will miss the even better waterfall or more memorable campsite that lies hidden just a few feet off of the trail just because it was not part of the original plan. So, keep your options open. Go with the flow. Don’t plan exactly where you are going to camp every night and turn around if you’re not liking what you are seeing. In other words, try to end up somewhere that you never could have imagined.

It’s that time of year that I find myself going over trip maps, ferry schedules, and past year trip permits for some of our spectacular wilderness tripping destinations in anticipation of the upcoming tripping season. No wilderness area is the same, and so each place has a unique way to acquire backcountry permits. The really fun part of getting these permits is the flood of memories pouring in from my years on trip staff. That one time there was light flurries at the put-in on East Bearskin, or passing around a five-pound brick of Velveeta cheese for lunch on Lake Four, eating freshly made bannock on Cherokee Lake, and catching loads of smallmouth bass on Clark Lake in Sylvania Wilderness. Anyhow, back to the permits…Isle Royale, Pictured Rocks, rock climbing, and sea kayaking all have an urgency to get on the trip calendar as their due dates come early. While Quetico Provincial Park and the Boundary Waters all have early dates to get permits, we actually cannot pull those just yet for because we do a sign up at camp.

I commonly refer to our wilderness tripping schedule as a grand puzzle. Getting optimal dates for the calendar, hiring 17 trip leaders, and then combining those two to offer the best possible program for our campers is a jig-saw I love putting together. At the moment I’m about two-thirds of the way in collecting all the pieces. That last third of the puzzle will come together by the first week of June, and then I can sit down at the “big table” with the Assistant Trip Director and tackle this puzzle (actually a calendar) that is worthy to be hung in our Trip Room and the Rec Hall. ‘Till then, I’ll keep on hiring some trippers, gathering permits and of course reminiscing on my golden years leading trips through the upper Midwest.

I’m sure you all have some great memories from being out on trail with Camp Nebagamon. Maybe it’s paddling the Eau Claire Lake Chain, hiking the Superior Hiking Trail through the Lutsen, MN area, or maybe hopping across a handful of lakes in the Boundary Waters. I hope you hold those memories tight…I hope you think of them fondly and I hope that hearing our campers today are following in your footsteps puts a little smile on your face.

“Why didn’t you ski the Birkie with me, Fornear?”

In keeping with tradition, we need to give a big HIGH FIVE to Emily Prud’homme, Chris Willett, Mitch Cohen and Elizabeth Becker for skiing the awesome American Birkebeiner this past weekend. The day before the Birkie, Emily Prudhomme (yes…Friday) skied 29K, then on Saturday she skied another 55K and Joe Crownhart skied the Korte (half of Birkie – 29K). With the reunion tour mostly behind us, please take a moment to email what’s going on in your life. Send the news to fornear@campnebagamon.com. Hope your winter is going well but what you are really thinking about is getting out on at least one of Nebagamon’s sweet wilderness trips this summer!

IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW that Oliver Held is playing basketball for his high school team called the Panthers in Kiev, Ukraine and his younger brother Ari is also playing basketball. While in San Diego we learned that Jackson Dewitt is the libero on his school’s volleyball team. Ben Effress stays busy playing defense in soccer, running back and linebacker in football, and volleyball teams for his high school. Sean McSherry is keeping busy with stage design building for his school’s theater department and is also growing a pomegranate tree. Ace Burvall is playing basketball, and his soccer team won the state cup. Asher Burvall is active in his school’s Entrepreneur Club and he is in production of his first video game. Addison Burvall is keeping busy with ballet, jazz dance and recently was Fritz in The Nutcracker. Northward we went, and once we arrived in Los Angeles, we were informed that Jacob Lutsky is keeping busy with Tae Kwon Do and is trying out for baseball and volleyball. Jordan Carlin is active with robotics, speech and debate at school and also is the backstage guy for his school’s theater productions. John Bermudez is keeping busy playing and building with his friends in his neighborhood. Rafa Posen’s band played at the Troubadour and he is also enjoying playing soccer.

IN THE WHERE-ARE-THEY-NOW DEPARTMENT: Dan Michel (Providence, RI ’06-’11,’13) is the Director at Brewster Day Camp – Cape Cod.

IN THE BIBS AND DIAPERS DEPARTMENT: It’s a boy, Benjamin Allen, for Andy Cohen (St. Louis/NYC ’78-‘83). It’s a boy, Ethan Hamilton, for Andrew May (’92-’98,’00-‘01) and Lauren May (Chicago).

Hello camp family! For my 10thgrade personal project, we are asked to research and take action on something that is important to us or inspires us. Camp inspired in me a love for canoeing and the wilderness, so I decided to try do something about the impending threat to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, a place that is so important to camp and to so many generations of campers. Due to recent political decisions, the BWCA is in danger of being damaged by copper sulfide mining. I’ll go into detail about the threat to this precious part of the Northwoods below, but first, I want to explain how you can help.

A couple weeks back, my dad and I headed up north to Camp Nebagamon, and with the help of camp’s head caretaker, Andy Mack, I built a canoe paddle from scratch. It was a lot of work, but I am really proud of what I created. I have decided to raffle off my canoe paddle to raise funds for the Save the Boundary Waters Foundation. Below is a link for a CrowdRise fundraising page. For every $20 that you donate to the Save the Boundary Waters Foundation through this CrowdRise page, you will earn one virtual “raffle ticket”for a chance to win the paddle. Of course, you may purchase multiple raffle tickets to increase your chances! Every penny of the funds collected will be donated to Save the Boundary Waters Foundation. Visit this link if you would like to donate to receive a raffle ticket, and learn even more about the foundation here.

The Boundary Waters… its natural beauty and pristine waters summon trippers and canoeists alike. It is the most visited wilderness area in the entirety of the United States and accounts for 20 percent of the freshwaterin the National Forest system. Its 1.1 million acres of immaculate water has been protected since the early 1900s by the Commissioner of the General Land Office, who withdrew about 1,159,700 acres of land from a lumber and mining treaty. This newly protected land was finally named the “Boundary Waters Canoe Area” (BWCA) in 1958.

But to wilderness enthusiasts and environmentalist’sdismay, on September 6th, 2018 the current administration lifted a blockade preventing the environmentally harmful practice of copper sulfide mining in the region, the most toxic industry in the U.S, and a form of mining that has never been allowed in Minnesota.This decision was like a literal gold mine for the Chilean mining giant, Antofagasta. Because of this decision, they are planning on building multiple mines in the watershed that leads into the Boundary Waters. A governmental study on the issue found that even one mine in the watershed could pollute the Boundary Waters for a minimum of 500 years. (Incidentally, before the final report could be published, the federal government rescinded the funding for the study.) The history of copper sulfidemining is an environmentally disastrous one with an almost perfect record of water pollution. All of the 14 copper sulfide mines in the U.S. have experienced accidental pipe spills. Some mines have experienced more extreme issues. For instance, in 2014 the Canadian Mount Polleymine dam broke and toxic metal infested water came pouring into nearby streams and into two significant lakes, Lake Polley and Lake Quesnal. The environmental damage to these lakes has been incalculable.

The location of the copper sulfide mine is extremely important when calculating the risk of pollution to nearby bodies of water. When water merges with sulfur, it creates sulfuric acid which is toxic to the surrounding environment. In the past, many copper sulfide mines in the United States have been located in arid places that receive a very low amount of rainfall every year. The proposed location of the Antifogasta mines on the edge of the Boundary Waters intrinsically creates a much larger threat because of the unique conditions of this area. First off, the regions frigid winters increase the risk of pipeline failure, pipelines that carry the sulfide waste. Secondly, the Boundary Waters is an ecosystem made of water. Water and sulfide create sulfuric acid. The abundance of surface water, groundwater that is just below the surface, and large amounts of precipitation will spread the toxic sulfuric acid with virtually no boundaries.

Not only are there strong environmental reasons to oppose copper sulfide mining in this region, there are very important economic reasons also. The BWCA contributes more than $910 million in revenue per year and created more than 17,000 jobs in the canoeing/boating industry. According to a study by a Harvard economistJames H. Stock,the economic benefits for extending the mining ban in the region will be significantly more beneficial than the economic benefit of allowing the Chilean mining companyto open a copper sulfide mine. The study estimates that the Boundary Waters canoeing industry will create 4,400 jobs over the next 20 years while the mining of copper and other metals will only generate 650.

Many of you have a strong connection to the BWCA because it has created such vivid and long-lasting memories, connecting with nature and connecting with your camp brothers. Our future Nebagamon brothers may not be able to enjoy those memories if the place that created them is damaged…or destroyed completely. One of the only things standing between the best canoeing waters on the planet, and a desolate industrial landscape, is people like us. Save the Boundary Waters foundation is a coalition of folks, just like you and I, who are trying to elevate this threat to a national level with the goal of protecting our BWCA. But they need help, and that is what I hope we all can do.

The summer is getting closer, and enrollments are still rolling in to the office. We still do have some spaces available in each session for 2019. If you know of any prospective new campers, please have them contact the camp office soon to ensure that they can register for the summer. Listed below are boys that are currently registered.

As a behind the scenes employee at camp I don’t have the opportunity to interact directly with the campers often, although I have had a few interesting conversations with early risers in the Swamper jop as we do our pre-wake up bell cleaning there. And on occasion we caretakers have done special projects with campers, such as last season’s rebuild of the Axmen Village barbecue pit. For the most part I am an observer of camper life, and one of the most intriguing times to observe campers is as they wait in the “Candy Line” in front of the Wanagan, camp’s not always open camp store.

No Candy Line today!

As I said, I have a behind the scene job and so I don’t really know the nitty-gritty of the camp store, therefore as I watch the line progress into the front door and out the back a lot of stuff goes through my mind… Is it open every day, or do the Hanson-Kaplan’s use some sort of algorithm that involves happiness to sugar intake to activity level calculations to decide when to open? Can the whole cabin come in or just that camper with the goofy, short-sided “pop can case” box and the “get-me” list from his mates? What happens if you don’t like candy? Are you shunned by your fellow cabin mates? Do those guys buy candy anyway and then haul home a bag of candy at the season’s end for their favorite sister in order to save face with the rest of the guys? Does Adam Fornear really get to be the curator of the fishing lure selection offered each season at the Wanagan, or is that just a rumor he spreads? If he does, does he really pick lures he thinks will catch fish, or choose only duds so there will be more fish left in the lake for him to catch? (A rumor I like to spread.)

Does all of the candy in the stubby sided box make it back to the cabin, or is there, as they call it in the retail business, “shrinkage”, followed by dubious excuses uttered by chocolatey breathed designated shoppers? What happens if the store runs out of bug spray at the height of mosquito season; do you get to fill out a complaint form or can you complain to Joe Briggs directly? Is it true that Adam and Steph stock their favorite candy in the store and then spread rumors about how awful that particular brand is, just so they can keep those delectable chocolatey goodness bars all to themselves all winter long? Is it anybody’s job to keep track of the expiration dates on the batteries sold? Is there candy line rules or prescribed etiquette? (Such as: 1. Wait patiently for your turn while in the Wanagan and then run out the back door at full speed as if set on fire when you get your stuff. 2. It is ok to jostle, make merry, and joke while in the Wanagan line, but always be polite and courteous once inside the store. 3. Remember it is not the loudest most obnoxious boy who ingratiates himself with the store staff but the most polite. 4…) Does anyone really think that their candy wrapper is biodegradable our do they just treat them as if they were? Can camp staff buy their candy supplies in the Wanagan, or are they only allowed to use the vending machines at Kozy Korner? Does anybody notice that I watch them and day dream about the workings of Wanagan?

Anyway, I always find it fun and interesting to see how excited the guys are as they wait in line for their turn to enter the store and present their cabin’s list to the lucky office workers who get to run the Wanagan that day.

Feeling a bit like the kid who ate to many of his favorite candy bars in one sitting, due to the record breaking 39 inches (as measured at the Duluth International Airport, DLH) of snow we received in the month of February, it’s Caretaker Joe At Camp.

It’s time for the annual icebreaker contest! We’re hoping spring will soon be upon us, so when exactly will the ice break? That’s the question facing us as we begin this year’s contest.

In 2012 Lake Nebagamon experienced its earliest icebreak on record, falling on March 21st. The latest ice breakup was on May 14th in 2013. The Official Lake Nebagamon Ice Recorder is none other than our own Andy Mack. He is already monitoring the lake for the village and will let us know as soon as the ice disappears, whether it happens mid-afternoon or at 3 a.m. Yes folks, Andy spends every waking moment (eating, sleeping, and working!) on the very shores of Lake Nebagamon to let us know EXACTLY when the ice breaks up (correct up to the second)!

To enter, simply fill out the form below. All entries must be received by April 1st. Of course, it would be wise to read the fine print below before making your guess. Winners could be contacted by Bravo TV, the Cartoon Network, VH1, the Discovery Channel, and other major networks and will receive prominent mention in The Arrowhead. So, don’t wait until the last minute. Send us your guess right away!

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THE FOLLOWING APPLIES TO THE SWEEPSTAKES ABOVE:

Sweepstakes begins on the day you receive this Arrowhead and all entries must be received by April 1st. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, damaged, incomplete, illegible or postage-due mail. Entries become the property of Camp Nebagamon LLC and will not be returned or acknowledged. Any prize notice that results from a printing, production, typographical, mechanical or other error will be void. If due to an error, more than one prize notice is issued, the prize will be awarded in a random drawing among all such notices issued and received. Sweepstakes open to the residents of the United States and Canada and to residents in selected parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, Mexico, North America and South America, where made available and where permitted by law. Employees (full-time) of Camp Nebagamon LLC and members of those employees’ immediate families are not eligible. Select camp dogs permitted to submit entries; cats prohibited. This offer is subject to all applicable federal, state, provincial and local laws and regulations and is void whenever prohibited or restricted by law. Winner selection and random drawings are under the supervision of Ostrow Reisin Berk and Abrams Ltd., an independent accounting firm whose decisions are final. Random drawings will be held within 5 days of the ice breaking, no later than 5:00 p.m. at 877 Chardie Road, Boise, ID 83702. Winners will be notified within 10 days of the selection/drawing. Any prize or prize notification returned to the sponsor as undeliverable will result in the awarding of that prize to an alternate winner in a random drawing. Prize is not transferable except to a surviving spouse. Substitution for the prize may be necessary due to unavailability, in which case a comparable prize of equal or lesser value will be awarded. In countries where cash prizes are prohibited, substitute merchandise of comparable value will be awarded. Taxes (and any expenses not specified herein) are the responsibility of the winners. Entry and acceptance of the prize constitute permission (except where prohibited by law) to use the winner’s name, hometown and likeness for purpose of advertising and promotion on behalf of the contest sponsor without further compensation. If you’ve read this far, congratulations! The fine print is a joke, but the contest is for real!

You Betcha! Back in late 2018, many staff contacted us to say they would like to return. This ensures that we will have veterans in place to lead the charge into another great summer underneath the towering white pines. Many of our key positions have been filled, and cabin counselors and trip staff are coming into the fold.

We are excited to announce that David Sachs and Jake Miller will be sharing our Swamper Village. Alex Gordon will be our Logger Village Director for his 10th year while alumni Andy Rolfe returns back to camp as the Axeman Village Director. Heading up our Lumberjack Village will be Andy Cohen and Noah Stein. Louis Levin will be returning as our Program Director for the summer of 2019. Heading up the waterfront this summer will be Henry Pulitzer and Walter Fromm.

Meals at camp will be awesome again as Anne Rowe returns for her 15thsummer! Also returning to our awesome food staff is Cody Keys, Alex Fuller, Elissa Skaggs, Grace Edwards and Katie Lundeen. Linnea Moss will spend another summer as our town driver. Grant Rosskamm returns as the Director of CNOC. Heather Kennedy returns for her second summer as an Art Specialist and joining her there for her first summer is Audrey Hurt. Heading up Nature Lore is Cindy Rolfe and Spencer Brown will head up tennis for his fourth year. Hugh Broder returns as our Director of Waterskiing. New to the MOCA kitchen is Sophia Gatzionis. Amber Burvall returns for her ninth summer as our nurse and Melissa Moy returns for her second summer as a nurse assistant. Joining Amber and Melissa in our infirmary for her first year is Molly Buring. Elana Scharff and Jaye Hensel both return to the office for another sweet summer. Cathy Fries will be starting her 21st season as the camp housekeeper.

Trip staff returners are Jonah Domsky, Kate Bennett, Trent Flegel, Ethan Strull, Ethan Berman, Max Fleischer, Quincy Hirt, Jamey Sharp, and Grayson Nolan. Ron Gaare, Amy Mack and Bill Hensel are all returning as trip drivers and Allen Bennett will be our Quartermaster. Andrew Meyer will be serving as Assistant Trip Director. Lastly, Adam Fornear (that’s me!) will be the Trip Director. So, as you can see, we already have a wickedly sweet staff lined up for the summer. There are also many others that I’m in the process of talking with and will be announced later in the off-season!

It used to be that I would say that the most powerful moment of any summer was the Keylog ceremony during the final Council Fire of the summer. Who could possibly argue that the power of heartfelt and tear laden words, shared by a camper on his last night as a camper, are not the…